The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) has extended its specialized care services to General Santos City, launching a transplant caravan at General Santos Doctors Hospital (GSDH) to improve access to organ transplantation and renal care in Mindanao.
According to NKTI Executive Director Dr. Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete, the initiative aims to reduce the need for patients in the region to travel long distances for treatment in Davao or Metro Manila. “By building our network in Mindanao, we bring quality care closer to where it’s needed,” she said.
The initiative follows the implementation of the Regional Specialty Centers Act (RA 11959), which enhances collaboration between national and regional health facilities.
NKTI data shows nearly seven million Filipinos suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), with the local CKD growth rate at 35.9%—significantly higher than the global average of 9.1% to 13.4%.
In 2024, NKTI catered to nearly 35,000 outpatients and 27,000 inpatients, underscoring the rising demand for renal care.
However, regional hospitals still face major challenges including:
- Limited kidney donor access
- Inadequate immunologic testing
- Shortages in nephrologists, transplant surgeons, and trained nursing staff
- Weak post-transplant monitoring and rejection diagnosis
- Lack of financial and insurance support
To address these gaps, NKTI is providing GSDH with:
- Human resource development
- Operational support
- Kidney transplant protocols
- Specialized training, including transplant coordination and transplant nursing
This move strengthens NKTI’s goal of creating a more inclusive, regionally accessible renal healthcare network across the Philippines.
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